


Teacups and Trains

by ufovalet



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Doctor Whump, Gen, Murder Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-04
Updated: 2014-07-04
Packaged: 2018-02-07 10:01:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1894857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ufovalet/pseuds/ufovalet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor convinces Rose to accompany him on a luxury train tour on an alien planet. Of course, nothing ever goes according to plan when The Doctor is involved, and the two soon find themselves embroiled in an old-fashioned murder mystery that may end in disaster for everyone. [Set during Season 2]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Teacups and Trains

\---

Day 1

\---

The young woman heaved a sigh of relief as she closed the door to her flat, drowning out the sound of the minor monsoon developing outside. She hoisted the bags containing her last-minute Christmas shopping up and deposited them on the entry table. Shrugging out of her dripping rain-slicker with ease, the woman immediately made for the teapot sitting on her kitchen counter, already filled with water. Leaving the water to boil, she changed into a dry pair of trousers from her closet, and returned to the kitchen feeling considerably more relaxed. After allowing her Earl Grey to steep for the recommended four minutes thirty seconds, the young blonde woman settled herself in her favorite armchair with a wool blanket and a much-dogeared copy of The _Wizard of Oz_. For a moment she simply sat, allowing herself to unwind, both physically and mentally, then, after a few minutes of staring into the colorful lights adorning her electric fireplace, she shook herself and opened her book. The woman quickly found herself engrossed in the goings-on of the mystical land of Oz, and lost all track of time until an aggressive pounding on her door demanded her attention.

Reluctant to move from the warmth of the overstuffed chair, the woman held her breath, praying that whatever manner of door-to-door peddler was outside would give up after one or two knocks. Her hope was dispelled, however, when a familiar voice hailed her from outside her flat.

"Oi! Rose, let me inside before I drown!"

Rose Tyler burrowed deeper into the chair and yelled to the man outside, "One day off Doctor, that's all I ask for."

The Doctor knocked again, more vigorously this time, "Well it's actually been a week and four days, relatively speaking… C'mon, open up!"

Rose could practically see his pleading brown eyes through the door, and she stood up to let him in, knowing she wouldn't be able to get rid of him, "Couldn't you just sonic it open or somethin'?" She grumbled as she unlocked the door and held it open for the lanky man currently sheltering under his long, brown coat. He gave her a sheepish smile as he gratefully stepped out of the downpour.

"Well, it doesn't work on wood, y'see…" He shrugged nonchalantly, rapidly changing the subject. "Is that Earl Grey I smell? Ahh I haven't had a good, British cup of tea in weeks. The TARDIS, try as she might, just can't make a decent cuppa," He frowned sharply as if just realizing what he had said, "You won't tell her I said that, right?"

Rose, now seated once again in the armchair, smiled slightly. "Your secret's safe with me. Now what are you doing here on Christmas Eve? Change your mind about that Christmas dinner, did ya?"

The Doctor followed her into the sitting room, perching on the arm of the sofa. His normally-spiky brown hair drooped low over his forehead with water weight. His eyes had a familiar gleam in them- a look Rose recognized from the time he had taken her to 19th century Scotland, and they had nearly been killed by werewolves. Knowing the mischief the Doctor was bound to get into when something got him this worked up, Rose was immediately on guard. The Doctor fiddled nervously with something in his pocket, but noticing Rose's gaze, he assumed his most charming smile.

"No, no, not a fan of big-sit down events, I actually came to ask you a very important question. Rose... how do you feel about trains?"

 

###

 

Ten minutes later, Rose found herself in the TARDIS, wringing water out of her hair. She watched the Doctor as he made various adjustments to the assortment of levers, buttons, and switches that made up the time-machine's main console. After much cajoling on the part of the Time Lord, and the assurance that she would be back in time for supper, Rose had agreed to accompany him on one trip. The destination in question was the planet Diadem; 'The Most Relaxing Planet In The Galaxy!' according to the Doctor. Of course, Rose did not completely trust the Doctor's interpretation of "relaxing", but he had promised her a trip on one of the planet's famous luxury train tours, and she hadn't been on a train in ages- much less an alien train. Truth be told, Rose could hardly stand her old life now, even for just one day, but she had insisted on taking a day off and could hardly admit to the Doctor that she was just as eager for an outing as he was, or she would never hear the end of it.

The familiar wheezing of the TARDIS landing jerked her back to reality, and she quickly grabbed onto the console as the machine threw both her and the Doctor around as it materialized in place. The Doctor was halfway to the door before the movement had ceased, grabbing his coat and shooting Rose a grin over his shoulder. Despite her attempts to maintain the outward appearance of reluctance, Rose found herself mirroring his smile as she followed him out the door of the 1950's-era police box.

 

###

 

Rose followed the Doctor out into what appeared to be the luggage room of an early-20th century railroad car. The Doctor took a few steps, stretching his arms wide like a proud homeowner showcasing his new purchase.

"Aha! Welcome aboard one of the finest trains in all of Mutter's Spiral!"

Rose narrowed her eyes at him, "You sure this isn't Earth? I'm pretty sure I've seen this exact train car in a Buster Keaton movie…"

The Doctor placed his arm around her shoulders cheerfully, "Ah, but that's the point. The trains here are run by the human population, and they've turned them into replicas of classic Earth trains- bit of nostalgia I guess. Actually, this planet's been inhabited by humans for oh, 400 years by now. In fact, you lot have got colonies on almost all of the inhabitable planets in the galaxy. The human population here oughta be quite large…"

Reaching the end of the train car, the Doctor gave a tug on the sliding door leading to the next car. As the door groaned open, Rose leaned over the Doctor's shoulder, eager to get a glimpse of the planet. As she took her first look at the surface of Diadem, Rose forgot everything for a moment. The transparent sky allowed for a clear view of the stars beyond, and showcased the vivid colors of the planet's countless moons. The landscape of the planet itself was breathtaking; rolling hills of blue grass below and towering white mountains visible in the distance. The train was hovering slightly above the ground at a speed much faster than any Earth train, and the wind whipped her hair around wildly.

"Oh Doctor, it's beautiful!" She gasped.

The Doctor's grin widened even more. He took Rose's hand in his and stepped out onto the causeway between cars. Rose followed cautiously, relieved to find rails along the causeway, as she wasn't completely sure about walking between moving train cars. After a bit of effort, the Doctor managed to open the exterior door to the next traincar, and he quickly pulled Rose in after him. With the door safely shut behind them, Rose let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"Alright I think I'd like to go home now," she muttered, only half-joking.

The Doctor only winked at her and opened the exterior door to the car. The travelers entered what appeared to be a kitchen car, although it was completely deserted.

"The Galley. Included for realism, but not ever used for making food; they've got robots for that," the Doctor explained.

Rose nodded and followed the Doctor on through the car. The next compartment was attached with an interior hallway, sparing the two the precarious journey across another causeway. The next car was a dining compartment. The car was almost completely filled with humans (or at least humanoids) but as the Doctor and Rose entered, no one spared them a second glance.

"Just in time for supper!" the Doctor gestured excitedly towards the platters of food adorning the tables in between the booths.

As she took in the whole car, Rose had to applaud the care taken by the local human colonists in their recreation efforts. The car was accurate down to the plush carpeting and velvet seats, although much of the food was unfamiliar to her. The Doctor strolled confidently down the aisle until he came upon an empty booth, which he slid gracefully into and began flipping through the in-ride menu sitting on the table. Rose sat down across from him and picked up the other menu.

"They're still usin' paper then?"

"Paper substitute, much cheaper to produce and tree-free," the Doctor answered, engrossed in the menu. After another moment he pointed triumphantly at a particular item and grinned broadly.

"Aha! Diadem chips, best chips in the Galaxy!"

"I could go for some chips right now," the Doctor set the menu down on the table and pressed a button underneath the table.

Immediately, a plain-looking man wearing a red-and-white checked apron appeared at their table, "Welcome to the Global Railway in-voyage meal program! My name is Andy and I'll be your server for today. What can I get for you?"

The Doctor had just opened his mouth to place an order when he was interrupted by an ear piercing scream coming from the front of the train.

 

###

 

Instantly, the Doctor was out of the booth and dashing down the hallway leading towards the next car. Rose slid out of the booth, hot on the Doctor's heels, but not before she noticed the waiter, Andy, flicker out of view.

_A hologram?_

She made a mental note to ask the Doctor about that later. Rose followed the Doctor into the next train car, which appeared to be a transition car. The Doctor skidded to a halt in front of her, giving her barely enough time to stop to avoid bumping into him. On the ground in front of the Doctor was a young man, and standing above him was an older blonde woman, gloved hands clapped to her mouth in horror. Rose quickly kneeled next to the man, hands fluttering over him uselessly.

"Sir, can you 'ear me?" Though his eyes were open, the man made no sign of acknowledgement. The Doctor ordered a nearby gawker to get the train's medic, then began questioning the older blonde woman.

"What happened?"

"I was just returning to the dining car after retrieving my inhaler from my room, the changes in altitude sometimes cause my asthma to flare up. I just found him like this" The woman sniffed and dabbed at her cheeks with an expensive looking handkerchief.

"Was anyone else in this car when you found him?"

"I- I didn't see anyone, but I was rather preoccupied..."

"Er, that's quite alright," the Doctor clasped her hand in his and gave it a comforting squeeze, "Miss…?"

"Oh, Peters- Edith Peters. Oh my I just can't believe it, " The woman gave a little sob and turned away from the Doctor to blow her nose.

The medical team arrived within minutes, a woman and a man armed with first-aid supplies, only some of which were familiar to Rose. Patches on their uniforms identified them as Doctors Lee and Rogers, respectively. Rose moved to allow them to take over on the man. Rose stood next to the Doctor and watched as Rogers checked for a pulse, then inserted an IV needle in the man's wrist. Lee went to work checking the man's temperature and setting up a mobile heart monitor. For a few minutes the medics worked, still unable to get a verbal response from the man. After about 5 minutes had passed, his heartbeat began to become more erratic, and 30 seconds later, the monitor reading showed no heartbeat. The medics worked frantically to set up what Rose assumed was a kind of defibrillator, attaching the silver device to the man's chest. A few more tense minutes passed, throughout which visible electric jolts passed rhythmically through the body of the unconscious man, as the medics attempted to jump-start their patient's heart. After two minutes with no changes on the heart monitor, the two medics exchanged glances, and the woman stood up and approached Rose and the Doctor.

"I'm truly sorry, it happened too fast," she shook her head regretfully.

Rose gripped the Doctor's hand tightly in her's, and he responded with a squeeze.

"We didn't actually know the man, we came upon him when Miss Peters- hang on, Miss Peters?" the Doctor turned around to find the car was completely empty. With a puzzled look, he turned back to Dr. Lee.

"Must've gone back to her room.."

The medic nodded, "Well, we're going to transport this man back to the hospital car, where a thorough medical investigation will take place. I suggest you return to your rooms and get some rest now, it is quite late."

The Doctor nodded, and taking Rose's hand, led the way to the sleeping cars.

 

###

 

The Doctor made himself at home in the first empty room he could find. He stretched out on one of the two bunks protruding from the walls as Rose sat down on the other. The small window set in the exterior wall of the car looked out on the darkening sky, and the Doctor stared out at the stars for a few minutes before sitting up and fixing Rose with a cheery smile.

"What do you say we check out the bowling alley?" he bounced up and down on his bunk a few times.

Rose stifled a yawn, "I don't know, Doctor, maybe that medic was right, it is getting late."

The Doctor's face fell, but he quickly recovered, "That's alright… you get some rest, I'll just nip on over to the TARDIS to grab some things…"

Rose nodded and yawned again, curling up on the small bunk. The Doctor stepped out, closing the door quietly behind him. Jamming his hands in his trouser pockets, he strolled in the opposite direction of the luggage car. As he walked through the next sleeper car, his sensitive Time Lord ears picked up the sounds of intense conversation coming from one of the rooms. Never one to suppress his curiosity, the Doctor stopped and listened more closely at the door. He recognized the voice of the medic from earlier, Dr. Lee, engaged in a heated discussion with a male voice he didn't recognize.

"...was ingested most likely, took out function in his heart within minutes. It wouldn't have been difficult to slip it into a meal.

"I've told Stefan that the security on these things isn't nearly as strict as it ought to be..."

As the voices got closer to the door, the Doctor quickly resumed walking, slipping through the door to the next car right as Dr. Lee and her partner emerged from their room.

The Doctor made his way towards the front of the train.

_The man was murdered then. But why?_

The Doctor arrived at the engine of the train, and yanked the door open. The young operator looked up from his terminal, startled.

"E-excuse me, no passengers are permitted to be in the engine room," he stammered.

The Doctor pulled the psychic paper out of his coat pocket and flashed it in front of the flustered operator, "Captain Decker with the Galactic Train Inspection Agency, I'm gonna need to see your passenger list post-haste."

The Doctor hoped he sounded urgent enough to dissuade the operator from questioning the validity of his made-up police agency.

"Y-yes sir, right away sir," the operator fumbled at the screen in front of him, eventually bringing up a long list of names, room numbers, and other personal information. The Doctor glanced down the list, committing to memory the information he needed, then stepped back, placing his arms behind his back.

"Everything appears to be in order, Mr. ….?"

"Mr. Young, sir"

"Thank you Mr. Young, I'll pass this along to my superiors. They will most certainly be impressed," the Doctor saluted sharply, and Young responded in kind.

"As you were!" the Doctor barked, and exited the engine car, leaving a confused, but pleased train operator behind.

 

###

 

The Doctor decided to wait until morning before pursuing his line of inquiry any further. He stopped off at the dining car for a quick bite before returning to the sleeper car. As he slipped into the room, the stars were just coming over the horizon, bringing light to the dark planet. Diadem orbited 3 different dwarf stars, causing a rotating schedule of daylight and night. Days ranged from 9 to 34 Earth hours long, and nights nearly the same. By the Doctor's reckoning, it had been a short night, so the upcoming day would be short as well. Rose was still sound asleep, so the Doctor settled back on his bunk and closed his eyes for a moment.

 

\---

Day 2

\---

 

Rose awoke slowly, feeling groggy but well-rested. As her eyes gradually adjusted to the harsh light of the unfamiliar planet, she glanced over to the Doctor's bunk and was pleased to see that he actually appeared to have slept. She stood up, hoping she could sneak out and grab a bit of breakfast before the Doctor woke up, but as soon as her feet met the floor, the Doctor's eyes snapped open.

"Sleep well?"

"Pretty well for being on a movin' train, yeah"

"Yes, that'll be the stabilisers, makes railroads run smooth as a dream."

The Doctor stood up and stretched, then attempted to flatten his hair.

"Fancy some breakfast then?" he asked.

Rose's stomach grumbled, but her nap had left her feeling like she needed a long shower.

"How 'bout you head to the dining car and order while I wash up a bit. Meet you there in 15 minutes, yeah?"

The Doctor nodded and left the small room.

 

###

 

In the bathroom, Rose had almost finished washing up. She opened the cabinet above the sink, in search of a tube of toothpaste, or even just some mouthwash. On the top shelf he spotted a metal canister approximately the size and shape of a small pill-container. Though it was unlabeled, it’s placement next to a toothbrush on the shelf led her to believe it was a toothpaste of some kind. She fiddled with the clasp on the end for a minute, but it was unyielding, and she placed it on the counter resignedly. As she set it down, her finger brushed a smooth indentation set in the center, and before she had a chance to react, the clasp had popped open, squirting translucent, blue toothpaste all over her hands. She sighed and exited the room to find a towel. As she was leaving the sleeper room, Rose spotted the male medic from the previous day making his way down the corridor. When he saw her, he jogged to catch up to her.

“Hey, we never actually met, but you were in that car when that man died, weren’t you?” his heavy accent was unmistakably Irish.

“Yeah, I’m Rose. Hi,” she smiled.

He smiled back, offering his hand to shake. She noticed he was still wearing his green latex gloves.

“Dr. Hiram Rogers.”

Rose showed him her toothpaste-covered hands and shrugged helplessly. For a second Rose could have sworn she saw a flicker of anger cross his face, but when she blinked it was gone, and she figured it for a trick of the light.

“So I thought you might like to know what we found out in our investigation,” Rogers offered, “The man’s name was Jackson Poole. He died of heart failure. If I had to guess I’d say it was an adverse reaction of medications.”

“Oh that’s horrible,” Rose said, feigning horror, “But thank you for letting me know.”

Rogers smiled sincerely, and Rose thanked him for his time, then escaped to find a towel.

 

###

 

When she arrived in the dining car she sat across from the Doctor at the same table as yesterday. He was digging into a large plate of chips. Catching a whiff of them, Rose was reminded of her own hunger and began eating greedily. For a few minutes there was silence at the table as the two attacked the plate of chips, then the Doctor swallowed and cleared his throat noisily.

"Ahem… So, I did a little digging last night," he glanced around at their fellow diners then lowered his voice so only Rose could hear, "it turns out that the man from yesterday was poisoned."

Rose raised an eyebrow at this, "That's funny, because I just ran into one of the medics, and he said that the man- his name was Jackson Poole by the way- died of heart failure."

The Doctor nodded knowingly, "Not a complete lie, but the heart failure was simply a result of the toxin. They likely won't release the details of his death, to avoid a mass panic. Anyways, I got the room number for the woman who found the body, I figured we could pay her a visit, ask a few more questions."

Thought it wasn't phrased as a questions, Rose knew the Doctor was asking her permission to investigate the incident further. Rose nodded her affirmation, careful not to appear too eager.

"Alright Mister, we'll dig a little bit. But not too much, this is supposed to be a vacation."

The Doctor's face lit up, and he grabbed another chip.

 

###

 

5 minutes later, Rose and the Doctor stood outside Room 28 in the fifth sleeper car. The Doctor gave a sharp rap on the oak door. After a few moments of shuffling from behind the door, a middle-aged woman wearing a burgundy plush robe opened the door, blinking owlishly at the two visitors.

"Oh, I'm sorry ma'am, did we we wake you?"

"No, no I've been awake for ages! What can I do for you two?"

The Doctor pulled the psychic paper out of his jacket and handed it to her for inspection, "We're with the Railway Union, we're conducting the semi-annual Railway Census, you wouldn't happen to know if an Edith Peters is staying here?"

The woman handed back the psychic paper and nodded, "Yes, that's me, Edith Peters."

The Doctor's eyes narrowed and he exchanged a puzzled glance with Rose, "Ah- are you quite sure..?"

The woman chuckled, "Yes, quite sure. I'm not that old yet."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, it's just…" he coughed, "Must be a mistake made by the Union. Yes, we'll clear it right up! Our apologies for the disturbance, ma'am. Have a nice day."

Apologizing, the Doctor and Rose retreated back down the hall.

"Now that’s bizarre," Rose said.

"Yes, quite," the Doctor agreed, eyebrows lowered in thought.

"So the woman we met yesterday was an impostor?" Rose suggested.

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully, "Must have been, yeah. Interesting… well, for now all we can do is mingle among the passengers, maybe ask around and try to find out who she actually was. She has to be on board still, there's no way to get off while the train is moving, unless…" he trailed off.

""Unless" what, Doctor?" Rose prompted

"Unless she has her own form of transport.."

"You mean like a TARDIS?"

"Something like that," the Doctor shrugged, then began walking back towards their room. Rose followed. When they entered, the Doctor closed the door quietly and turned to Rose, eyes dancing.

"Rose, I need to ask you a favor. We're going to need to do a little bit of burglarizing."

 

###

 

The Doctor outlined his plan to her. It was fairly simple. Rose would lure the two medics out of their room- by way of faking a medical emergency or something equally distracting- leaving the room wide open for the Doctor to slip in and swipe whatever samples of the poison the two doctors had collected from their autopsy. The Doctor explained that he needed to analyze the substance so they could track down the killer. Rose figured she could fake some manner of fit or seizure easily enough, and the Doctor only needed two or three minutes. The two time-travelers exited their room, and set off towards their respective destinations.

 

###

 

Rose was sitting in the dining car, which was the most populous area on the train, and therefore the best place to stage a distraction. She sat in a booth near the middle of the car, sipping her ginger beer as she waited a few minutes for the Doctor to get himself situated. She noticed a young woman returning from the lavatory looking a bit green. Food poisoning? As she was passing Rose's table she faltered and sank to her knees clutching her stomach. Rose jumped out of the booth and knelt next to her, "Hey, mate you all right?"

The woman, who didn't seem to hear her, only moaned pitifully and continued clutching at her abdomen. Other diners began to notice the spectacle occurring in the middle of the dining hall.

A tall, fair-haired man stood up and came over, hovering nervously over the woman, "What's wrong with her? Should I get help?"

Rose was still trying to get a reaction out of the woman, but to no avail. She looked up at the man and nodded gratefully. He ran off towards the front of the train. Rose continued to attempt to bring the woman into conversation, but she seemed oblivious. Within minutes, the two medics were at her side, checking the woman’s pulse and temperature. Rose stepped back to give them access and found herself standing next to the tall, fair-haired man.

"Hi, I'm Hank," he offered his hand

"Rose."

"Do you know her?" he gestured towards the young woman.

Rose shook her head, "No, I was just sittin' when she collapsed in front of me."

Hank nodded and the two lapsed into silence as they watched the medics work. Rose’s apprehension grew as no visible improvements were made in the patient's condition. The medics had administered a general anesthetic, but the woman still appeared to be in agony. As the minutes passed, things only got worse, as the woman's heart stopped beating and she did not respond to resuscitation attempts. After a while, the medics were forced to give up and they covered the woman's body with a tablecloth. As they were lifting her onto a stretcher, the Doctor sauntered into the car, then stopped dead when he saw the body being carried away.

He approached Rose, his expression fixed, "What happened?”

She ran up to him and buried her face in his shoulder, "Oh, Doctor she just collapsed in front of me, I tried to help her, I did, but I didn't know what to do… she just died, Doctor."

She couldn't help the tears that now came.

The Doctor wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on her's, "Shh, it's ok. It's alright, there's nothing you could have done," he soothed.

They stood this way for a long time, until Rose withdrew, sniffing. The Doctor turned her around and put his arm around her shoulder, leading her gently back to their room.

 

###

 

After settling Rose in bed with a hot cup of tea, the Doctor headed back to the TARDIS. As he entered the time machine he tossed his long, tan coat over one of the bars near the door and went over to the console. He pulled out the small vial containing the sample of the toxin the medics had taken from the victim's stomach. He noticed an alcove now present in the console that hadn't been there before, and he placed the vial into it.

"Thanks girl," he patted the console as a door slid up to cover the alcove.

He estimated the analysis would take only 15 minutes or so, so he elected to hang around in the TARDIS until it was done. He picked up the closest book, Murray's _A History of Chess_ , and began reading.

10 minutes and 2000 years of chess later, the alcove slid back into place with a click, causing the Doctor to jump up and stoop to examine the console screen.

**Juice extracted from the fruit of the trochodendron drachuckii plant. Genus trochodendron. Only known holotype fossil housed in Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, USA, Old Earth, 2007 ECE. Sample destroyed in Earthquake 13321, 2234 ECE. Post-2234 ECE no known holotypes exist.**

_But the juices are harmless to humans… this can't be the poison._

The Doctor retrieved the vial from the console and gave the TARDIS another pat on the way out. He returned to the room to find Rose's bed empty, the blankets pulled back and rumpled.

He sighed, _Why do they always wander off?_

But he wasn't too concerned, there weren't many places she could have gotten to on this train. He left the vial of poison in the bedside drawer and set off in search of Rose.

The first place he checked was the shop. The tiny souvenir shop was located about halfway between the engine and the caboose, and although the selection was small, the Doctor knew it would draw Rose in like a gnat to a lamp. To the Doctor's dismay, the shop turned out to be devoid of Earth girls, although he didn't leave empty handed. The Doctor set off towards the cafe wearing his new I visited Diadem and all I got was this lousy t-shirt shirt over his pinstriped jacket. The Doctor sauntered into the crowded cafe, taking in the multitude of couches and tables squeezed into the confined space. It could almost be described as cozy. Ah, so this is where everyone comes during the day. The Doctor scoured the crowd of people for Rose, and eventually spotted her seated at one of the small tables. He pushed his way through a large group of people and plunked down in the seat next to Rose.

"Hey Doctor, I was hoping you'd catch us up," Rose greeted him with a grin.

"Feeling better then?"

"Yeah, thanks. Oh, Doctor! I'd like you to meet Hank," she gestured towards her right, and for the first time the Doctor noticed a man sitting there.

"Doctor, Hank. Hank, Doctor"

"Nice to meet you Hank," the Doctor reached his hand out to shake.

Hank, a young, lanky, blonde responded with a polite smile and took the Doctor's hand.

"You too. Rose has told me a lot about you."

"Oh has she?" the Doctor quirked an eyebrow at Rose.

The tips of Rose's ears reddened slightly, "Oh yeah, y'know, how we're visiting Diadem also, and about the man who collapsed earlier. Hank was there when that woman died."

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully, then looked back to Hank, "Hank, d'you think I could have a moment alone with Rose?"

"Of course, I'll just go get us some coffees. Cream and sugar?"

The Doctor nodded absently, grasping Rose's elbow and leaning closer, "Listen, I ran the analysis on the toxin. It's from an ancient Earth plant that was destroyed millennia ago. But that's not all; according to the TARDIS, the juices of the plant are nonlethal when ingested by humans."

"Then it couldn't 'ave been what killed those people, yeah? Maybe it was some bad fish or something," Rose mused.

"No, no, they were definitely poisoned… I think it's high time we talked with Drs. Lee and Rogers."

Rose nodded in agreement, just as Hank returned, balancing three cups of coffee precariously in his arms.

"Order up!"

He placed a cup in front of the Doctor and Rose, then sat down with his own.

"Thanks, Hank," Rose said, taking a sip, "Ah, that's some good coffee!"

The Doctor took a sip of his own, and was inclined to agree. For the next hour, the three passengers drank coffee and chatted amiably, until the Doctor eventually got up, declaring it time for bed. Rose protested weakly at first, but accompanied the Doctor back to their room without much complaint.

  


\---

Day 3

\---

 

The next morning at breakfast, they outlined their plan for the day. First they would talk to the medics, and hopefully get some more information about the deaths. The Doctor also wanted to go back and talk to the train operator at some point, to learn more about the two victims. Rose insisted they check out the bowling alley, and the Doctor readily agreed. Finally, Rose suggested they should split up and mingle with the other passengers, see if they could pick up on any rumors, and although the Doctor was not overly fond of the idea of leaving Rose alone with a murderer on the loose, he admitted it was a good idea. After breakfast, they went straight to the hospital car, armed with psychic paper and a hopefully convincing cover story.

After talking to both the medics and the train operator, they learned that the same toxin had killed both Jackson Poole and Alexandra Petrov, the female victim.

According to Dr. Lee, "The poison starts working in the stomach, causing intense stomach pain as the body attempts to metabolize it. Although the effects it has on the body are not fatal at first, something happens after digestion that causes the toxin to affect the heart, causing total cardiac arrest in minutes." The two doctors were working diligently to figure out what caused the heart failure, meanwhile train security had been put on high alert, as officers kept on the lookout for anyone acting suspiciously. The two victims didn't appear to have share any connections, both coming from different planets, with different occupations and no obvious similarities, although all information was being beamed to Diadem authorities back in the city, and a full investigation was underway, though the Doctor was sceptical of the effectiveness of a virtual investigation. The Doctor and Rose took a break with a few rounds of bowling, joined by Rose's new friend, Hank. Considerably more relaxed, Rose headed for the cafe and the Doctor for the bar, agreeing to meet up back in their room at 2100 hours, the Doctor making her promise to watch her food.

 

###

 

The Doctor strolled into the pub and took a seat at the counter. Hailing the bartender, he ordered a glass of ice water, which he poured into a nearby empty wine glass. He leaned back against the countertop and watched the groups of passengers clustered around each of the raised tables as he sipped at the water. For the most part, the bar-going crowd was diverse, as he observed a wide range of ages and races. He grinned and raised a hand in greeting as a young Vinvocci took the seat next to him.

"How's it going?" he asked cheerfully.

"Oh, ok I guess," she sighed loudly, shooting a glare over her shoulder to a group huddled around a television screen.

"Love trouble?" the Doctor guessed, raising an eyebrow questioningly

"Sort of. I was just hoping we could spend some time together on this trip, but my boyfriend would rather hang out with his new friends and watch the Wiffle Ball Cup," she spat out the last four syllables aggressively.

"Oh I completely forgot about the Wiffle Ball Cup! Metallurgis 5 vs Alzarius isn't it? Oooh Alzarius! Used to know someone from Alzarius. Lovely planet…" he trailed off when he noticed the Vinvocci's withering look.

He coughed awkwardly, "Ehem… Anyways, I'm the Doctor, nice to meet you."

He offered his hand.

"My friends call me Nancy," she shook his hand firmly.

"So, Nancy, what brings you to Diadem?"

"Won a contest back on Clom. All-expense-paid tour of Diadem. It is quite lovely isn't it?" The Doctor nodded in agreement, and flagged down the bartender again for a refill.

"Water in a wine glass, eh? Interesting."

The Doctor was saved having to answer by the appearance of a male Vinvocci; who he assumed was Nancy's boyfriend.

"Nancy!" the man grabbed Nancy's hand, excitedly pulling her away, "Alzarius won, Nancy! We're having a celebration round, Cheswick is paying, c'mon!"

Nancy gave the Doctor an apologetic look as she was pulled away to the opposite side of the bar. He grinned back at her.

Swallowing the last of his water, he smacked his lips and leaned back, My throat is really dry.. hmm, must be dehydrated.

The Doctor sat at the bar and watched the crowd for the next hour, making small talk with nearby passengers, but picking up nothing useful pertaining to the deaths. By the time 2100 rolled around, he had downed 7 glasses of water and still felt parched. He stood up, but immediately sat down again as his head began to spin. Whoa, stood up too quickly… He waited a few seconds, then stood again. He managed a few steps forward before an intense pain in his abdomen brought him to his knees in agony. His vision darkened around the edges as he sank to his knees finding it harder and harder to breath. Vaguely, he was aware of raised voices around him. A green blur swam in front of his vision and he heard a voice calling his name.

Nancy.

He opened his mouth to respond to her but found that no sound would come. The pain in his stomach reached a deafening intensity, and he succumbed to the darkness pressing in on him from all directions.

 

###

 

Rose left the cafe feeling disappointed. Two hours of of idle chit-chat and no one knew a single thing about the murders. In fact, most of the passengers weren't even aware that there had been deaths on the train. Rose pushed in the door to their sleeping compartment, surprised to see that the Doctor hadn't beat her back to the room. She perched on the edge of her bunk and idly flipped through the room service menu. After 10 minutes of waiting she became restless and decided to go find the Doctor herself. She opened the door and ran smack into a petite red-haired woman running towards the back of the train. Rose landed on her back with the wind knocked out of her. The breathless woman helped her back up.

"Sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't see you. I'm sorry, I have to go"

"Hang on, what are you running for?"

The woman was already off again, moving quickly, but she shouted at Rose over her shoulder, "I'm fetching the medics- a man's collapsed in the pub!"

Rose felt her throat constrict. It sounded like another poisoning, and if she knew the Doctor, he was right in the middle of it. She started off towards the pub at a jog, her concern growing with every step. She burst into the dark room of the pub and immediately ran over to the group of people gathered near the bar. As she pushed through the crowd she was able to make out a pair of feet and then legs in a familiar pinstriped suit. A green-skinned woman was crouched next to the Doctor, talking to him in a low voice. Rose kneeled down next to him, heart in her stomach.

"Doctor! Doctor can you hear me?" she checked his pulse, and was dismayed to find it thready.

She leaned over to place her cheek over his mouth, to check for breathing, and relief flooded her as she felt a warm puff of air. She squeezed the Doctor's hand and looked up at the green woman next to her.

"What 'appened?" she demanded.

"I- I don't know, he seemed fine, then he just collapsed," the woman answered shakily, sitting up.

Rose nodded worriedly, absently running her fingers through the Timelord's sweaty hair. Less than a minute later, the two medics arrived, and the crowd parted to give them access. Rose moved to the side, but kept a tight grip on the Doctor's hand.

_Please be okay._

The medics got to work- a procedure Rose was familiar with by now. She watched as Dr. Rogers set up a mobile IV bag and sanitized the Doctor's wrist.

"Is he allergic to any medications?" Rogers asked.

"No, I don't think so… wait, yeah! Aspirin, he's allergic to Aspirin!"

Dr. Rogers’ eyebrows drew down in a frown and he ceased inserting the IV, "Are you sure? That's the only painkiller we have on board, he'll have to go without."

Rose nodded, eyes never leaving the Doctor. He had stopped moving, and was now just lying on the floor.

_He's so pale._

If the heart monitor hadn't been displaying a steady 140 bpm, Rose would've thought he was dead.

"He's stabilised, let's get him to the medcar," Dr. Lee said, obviously relieved, as the two medics lifted the Doctor onto a stretcher. Rose accompanied the two doctors back to their room, not letting go of the Doctor's hand the entire way.

\---

Day 4

\---

_"No, I don't understand. That's not possible."_

_"A single Time Lord will find the Lost Scrolls of Rassilon and lead Gallifrey from darkness."_

_"Please… Penelope! Penelope…"_

 

_###_

 

The Doctor woke abruptly, pushing back the memories that threatened to come flooding back. He was in an unfamiliar room, but judging by the medical equipment he assumed it was the medbay. He turned his head awkwardly to the left to get a glimpse of the rest of the room and saw Rose curled up in an uncomfortable-looking chair next to the bed, sound asleep. The light coming in from outside told him it was early morning. He laid back against the mountain of pillows piled behind his head and closed his eyes. The last thing he remembered was talking to a woman in the pub. A Vinvocci whose name he couldn't recall. He had a brief memory after that of pain. The most intense pain he'd felt in a long, long time. Memories soon started flooding back. He and Rose were investigating a string of poisonings on the train, and he'd been talking to the passengers when he'd collapsed.

_So the murderer decided to get rid of me. Why didn't I die? Or at least regenerate…_

A horrible thought occurred to him then, and he frantically moved his hands up to feel his face and hair. Reassured that he had not regenerated, he sighed and leaned back again, feeling exhausted.

 

###

 

The next time he woke up he felt noticeably better. Judging by the light filtering through the small window above his head, and the fact that Rose had not moved, he estimated he'd been asleep for only maybe an hour or two. Quite suddenly he was seized by the need to relieve himself, which was unsurprising when he recalled how many glasses of water he had drunk the previous day. He stood slowly, and moved unsteadily towards the small restroom, doing his best not to wake Rose. He managed to make it to the bathroom and back without incident. Thankfully he was still wearing all of his clothing, bar his jacket, which he soon spotted draped over the end of the bed. He was moving towards it when Dr. Lee entered the room, studying her clipboard. She looked surprised to see the Doctor up and about.

"Feeling better, I presume?"

"Oh yes. Good as new!" he grinned cheekily

Rose woke with a start at his voice, and when she spotted him her face broke out into a wide grin.

"Morning sleepyhead. Welcome back," she stood.

"Good to be back!" he took a step forward and swept her into a hug.

"I thought I was gonna lose you again," Rose spoke into his shoulder.

"Ah, not yet. I'm quite fond of this face," he set her back down.

"Me too," Rose smiled up at him, eyes slightly moist.

The Doctor stepped back and turned towards Dr. Lee, "So, what's the prognosis, Doc?"

The female medic removed her glasses and leaned against the bedside table, "By all means you should be dead, but you're not. Your liver began failing just a few minutes after we found you, and for a little while there it was touch and go. However, your body began to recover quickly. The poison we found in your stomach when we pumped it matches the toxin found in both of the other victims. In your case, however, the poison never moved to the next stage; it didn't move into your heart…. well, hearts."

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully, "Hmm, yes, that's probably due to physiological differences.. The other two, they were human?" he addressed Dr. Lee.

She nodded in affirmation.

"That'll be it, then. The poisoner didn't account for my faster metabolism. The poison was rendered impotent as my body started to digest it. Didn't give it a chance to start towards my hearts."

"And you are a…."

"Timelord," the Doctor finished for her, not expecting the medic to have heard of the ancient race.

Lee simply nodded and consulted her clipboard again, "Well, I'd estimate by now the poison has almost completely left your system. While I would normally recommend at least a day of bedrest after a physical trauma such as this, in your case I think I can make an exception. You're free to leave, just try to refrain from engaging in any strenuous activity and notify me immediately if you start to feel any difference in your condition whatsoever."

The Doctor nodded his compliance and moved to put his coat on.

 

###

 

10 minutes later, the Doctor and Rose were back in the privacy of their room. The Doctor sat down heavily on his bed, feeling considerably drained just from the walk over. Rose sat next to him, eyeing him worriedly.

"You okay?"

He grinned at her reassuringly, "Oh yeah, I'll be fine. You know me, I'm always fine."

Rose wasn't convinced, but she let it drop, "So, did you find anything out from the passengers?"

The Doctor shook his head morosely, "Not a thing. You?"

"Zip."

The Doctor frowned briefly, then grimaced suddenly and clutched his stomach. Alarmed, Rose quickly moved to help him- although not sure exactly how- but he put a hand up to stop her.

"It's ok, just a pang. That's to be expected," he stood up, breathing heavily and looking slightly more pale. Rose lifted his arm over her shoulder, and was relieved when he accepted the help.

"I think we should head to the TARDIS, there are some Time Lord-safe painkillers on board." Rose nodded and together the two made for the back of the train.

 

###

 

After a few minutes of laborious walking, they finally reached the door to the luggage car at the end of the train. The Doctor leaned against the wall while Rose tugged on the door. She was surprised to find it stuck shut.

She turned towards the Doctor, "I think it's locked."

"That's odd, it shouldn't be…." he pulled the sonic screwdriver out of his jacket and waved it in front of the door. The metal door unlocked with a click. Rose pulled again and this time the door slid into the wall with ease. As she looked prepared to step out onto the causeway, Rose was dismayed to find that the causeway ended halfway through. The part of the metal grating that was attached to the train car they were in dropped off after a few feet, and looking past it all she could see was miles of countryside below them, rushing by at impossible speeds. The end of the train was gone, and with it, the TARDIS.

 

###

 

The Doctor was taking it about as well as could be expected, considering the last time they had lost the TARDIS they'd nearly been sucked into a black hole. He paced back and forth in the small room as Rose sat on the ground by the door, studying her hands.

"Ohhh stupid, stupid, stupid!" he smacked himself on the forehead a few times.

"What? What is it?" Rose looked up at him.

He stopped walking and looked grimly at her, "This whole thing has been a trap. No one could know the TARDIS was in that room unless they knew who I was. No staff go back there, no passengers are allowed, what possible reason could there be to detach it from the train? Unless this all has been a cleverly orchestrated plot to trap me in a confined location, and what better place to do that than a train moving 200 kilometers per hours!"

"So you're saying whoever this murderer is, they're doing this all to get to you? But why?"

"Must be someone that has something against me… 900 years of time and space travel, you make a few enemies. Ok, we need to get to the engine room pronto, we have to tell the operator to stop this train!"

The Doctor set off towards the front of the train, ignoring the fatigue that clouded the edges of his mind. Rose followed closely behind, keeping a close eye on the Time Lord for any sign of a falter. Reaching the door to the engine, the Doctor pulled on it, but it wouldn't open. He used the sonic screwdriver to unlock it, and checked again, but the door was stuck tight.

"Just what I was afraid of," he said, "It's been deliberately locked with a deadlock seal. It can only be opened by the device that sealed it."

"What do we do?" Rose asked. A wave of pain rolled through the Doctor, and he automatically began to move his hand towards his stomach before he stopped himself. Knowing Rose would have him confined to the medbay if she had substantial evidence, he assumed a neutral expression.

"We'll just have to catch the killer ourselves."

 

###

 

"Dr. Lee? Dr. Rogers?" the Doctor pushed open the door to the medbay and peered inside.

"Yes?" Dr. Lee appeared from around the corner. Seeing the Doctor and Rose, she beckoned them in.

"Back already? Are you having pain?"'

"No, nothing like that. We wanted to talk to you a little about these killings. From what I know of the toxin, it doesn't cause heart failure. Is it possible the poisoner is choosing victims based upon internal conditions that would cause the poison to have a certain effect?"

Dr Lee looked thoughtful, "I suppose that's possible, although not much is known about the substance… How do you know so much?"

"Rose and I are.. ehm.."

"Botanists," Rose supplied.

"Yes, botanists."

Lee looked sceptical, but didn't press, "By the way, have you seen Dr. Rogers recently?"

"No can't say I have, why?"

"I haven't seen him since we brought you in yesterday. No matter, I'm sure he's just catching up on his rest. He has seemed a little on edge recently."

"So, about the victims," the Doctor said.

"Yes, well I've gone over the files of both of the deceased," Dr. Lee walked over to the refrigerated closet, "There don't seem to be any medical similarities that could cause the different reactions... Oh my God, Hiram!" Dr. Lee jumped away from the closet, hands clasped over her mouth in horror.

The Doctor moved to get a better look. Inside the closet, propped up against the far wall was the unmoving body of Dr. Hiram Rogers. The Doctor quickly knelt next to the man and checked his pulse. He looked back towards Lee and Rose who were standing in shocked silence and shook his head grimly.

"He's dead. And by the looks of it he's been dead for quite a while… at least a week."

"But I don't understand, how is that possible?"

"Oh… I've seen this before somewhere… Think, think!"

The Doctor was up and pacing again. Rose sat Dr. Lee down on a chair and the two watched the Doctor. After a few minutes he stopped walking.

"Oh! Of course!" he dashed back over to Rogers' body and whipped out his sonic, pressing a few buttons and scanning the body. Rose stood up and joined the Doctor in the closet.

"Quite a while ago," he lowered his voice so Dr. Lee couldn't hear, "I ran into a being called a 'Maker'. Makers are a parasitic race with the ability to possess the bodies of others. This particular Maker, name of Reo, was up to no good. My companions and I foiled his plan, casting him out of his host body in the process. Now, if my theory holds, he's the one behind these murders, and he's been using of Dr. Rogers as a sort of puppet," he held the sonic up, analyzing the results.

"But that doesn't explain why Dr. Rogers looks like he's been dead for so long."

"When a Maker inhabits a body, it destroys the mind of the host over time. Only the energy from the Maker prevents decomposition. That is, until the Maker leaves, then the body begins to decay all at once."

"That's horrible," Rose shuddered, "Since Reo has left Dr. Rogers, does that mean he's inside someone else now?"

"It's very likely," the Doctor nodded, "Now, we have to figure out who he's moved into before he gets the chance to strike again."

He raised his voice to address Lee who was still where Rose had left her, "Dr. Lee, I'd understand if you don't want anything to do with this--"

Lee cut him off, "No, I want to help. I'll do whatever it takes to catch this bastard,” she stood and wiped the wetness from her face, setting her jaw.

The Doctor grinned at her, "Brilliant! Now, I'm going to need you to put everything you have towards figuring out how the toxin killed those two people."

The medic nodded determinedly.

The Doctor turned back to Rose, "Rose, it's time to catch a killer."

 

###

 

“Chief Briggs report, repeat Chief Briggs report, 10-54, repeat 10-54,” a voice buzzing over the intercom caused Rose and the Doctor to look up from the map of the train they had been engrossed in for the past hour.

“10-54… that’s the code for a dead body,” the Doctor said, exchanging looks with Rose.

Rose jumped up and grabbed her jacket, “Well, let’s go then.”

 

###

 

The two time-travellers had no trouble finding the location of the body. Silver crime scene tape cordoned off a section of the hallway outside of Room 11, and two train security officers loitered outside holding cups of coffee and talking in low voices.

The Doctor approached them confidently, holding the psychic paper up, “Excuse us, blokes, Crime Scene Security Team.”

The larger of the two officers scrutinized the Doctor’s fake credentials for a moment then shrugged and lifted the tape, beckoning them in. The Doctor leaned against the door frame and grilled the officers for information while Rose went inside. Rose was pleased to see that the officer in charge had not arrived yet, so she was free to peruse the crime scene undisturbed. She crouched down next to the body which was in the bathroom, lying inside the free-standing bathtub. The flesh on the face had begun to decay, and Rose had to resist the urge to gag. Examining the face closer, she found she recognized the deceased.

“Doctor, you’re goin’ to want to see this,” she called.

The Doctor appeared in the doorway and quickly pinched his nose with two fingers, giving his voice a nasal sound when he talked.

“I got some info from the security guard out there. He says this room is booked under the name Gale Minh, she was traveling alone. Train security was notified when a passenger complained about the smell.”

“Look familiar?” Rose nodded towards the body in the tub.

The Doctor leaned in to get a closer look, then his eyebrows shot up in surprise, “Well, we’ve found our fake Edith Peters. And by the looks of it, Host number 1.”

 

###

 

The Doctor and Rose got out of the room as quickly as they could, trusting the security officers to handle the body. The two returned to the medbay to check in with Dr. Lee, and found her crouched over a microscope, scribbling furiously on a pad of paper.

“Knock knock,” the Doctor rapped on the doorframe as they entered.

Dr. Lee looked up, startled, and adjusted her tortoiseshell glasses, “Doctor, I’ve developed a theory about how the poison works,” She said excitedly, “I was reviewing the circumstances around each poisoning when I realized there was one major external difference between yours and the other two. The anesthesia. We administered a general anesthesia to both of the deceased, but when we began to dose you up, Rose told us you’re allergic to Aspirin. My theory is that it wasn’t the poison that caused the cardiac arrest, but the reaction of the poison with the anesthetic mutated it into something far more lethal.”

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully, “Yes.. that’s clever, very clever. Brilliant job, Dr. Lee!” he grinned at her, “But we still don’t know how the poison is introduced… How long did you say the toxin took to have an effect after the initial poisoning?”

“By my calculations, if ingested it should have taken about two days for the poison to hit full effect after entering your system.”

“Ok, so it hit you late last night, that would mean you were poisoned sometime on the first day we arrived on the train, yeah?” Rose mused.

The Doctor nodded. If Lee had noticed that they had boarded the train three days into its journey, she didn’t let on. The Doctor pushed away from the wall he’d been leaning against and walked to the window. He stared outside, mentally listing out everything he’d done on that first day.

“Assuming the only host before Dr. Rogers was Gale Minh, Reo was in her the day we arrived on the train,” he said, thinking aloud, “So, the poisoning happened during what brief contact I had with her… Oh! That’s it!” the Doctor spun around to face Dr. Lee and Rose, “That’s how he’s doing it, through hands!” he held his own hands up and waggled his fingers excitedly.

“Wait, Doctor slow down. What do you mean?” Rose said, looking lost.

“It’s genius, really. What’s one thing we do every day subconsciously, with people we’re just meeting and old friends alike. We shake hands. Put a little bit of poison on your gloves, you can spread it around to whomever you choose and no one will suspect a thing!”

“That would explain Dr. Rogers’ weird behavior!” Rose exclaimed suddenly, “He tried to shake my hand earlier, but I couldn’t because of the toothpaste,” noticing the questioning looks from the Doctor and Lee, she waved her hand, “Don’t ask. Anyways, when I couldn’t shake he seemed really angry for a second.”

The Doctor clapped his hands together enthusiastically, and beckoned Rose towards the door, “Alright, Dr. Lee, now you know if there are any more poisonings that you should not administer an anesthetic. Rose and I are going to head back to our room. It’s time for us to implement Phase 1.”

 

###

 

While the Doctor had a word with train security, Rose assumed a position in the supply closet nearest to the engine. By cracking the door an inch or so, Rose had a suitable view of the door to the engine car, while still remaining invisible to anyone on the outside. After a few minutes of waiting, the Doctor appeared in the hallway and joined her in the cramped closet. He breathlessly filled her in, “I told the Chief to give me 15 minutes. Now, when we get in there I want you to stay behind me. The poison is no longer a threat, but who knows what this guy is capable of if he thinks he’s cornered.”

Rose nodded in somber agreement, and the two lapsed into comfortable silence as they waited for the announcement that would set their plan in motion.

 

###

 

“Attention passengers and crew. This is not a drill. We are experiencing technical difficulties. Please return to your seats and brace for impact. Repeat, all passengers and crew return to your seats and brace for impact. This is not a drill.”

Alert again, Rose sat up and peered out the crack in the doorway. She felt the Doctor stiffen next to her. They didn’t have to wait long, for after less than a minute they heard the sound of approaching footsteps and muttered obscenities. Pressing her cheek to the door, Rose could make out a tall, blonde man leaned over the door to the engine car, rummaging in his pockets. Finding whatever object he was seeking, he turned towards the door and Rose was able to see his face clearly for the first time.

“Hank,” she breathed. Next to her, the Doctor gave her shoulder a sympathetic squeeze. Outside, Hank was aiming an object that resembled a remote control at the engine car door. He pressed a button and a red light shone onto the lock, accompanied by a low buzz and finally a click. Hank entered the engine car quickly, not bothering to lock the door behind him. The instant the door swung shut behind the blonde man, the Doctor was out of the closet and following him into the room. Rose entered the room to find Hank crouched over the main console that controlled the train, pressing buttons and studying the screen intently. The Doctor was standing in the center of the room, eyes dark. Rose followed his gaze to the corner, where the body of a young man- most likely the train operator- was crumpled. The bloody wound on his temple in stark contrast with the paleness of his skin. The Doctor’s eyes were stormy as he took a step towards Hank. Hank spun around quickly, pulling out a small, silver pistol.

Hank’s open face contorted into a sneer as he caught sight of the Doctor, “Doctor. My, you’ve changed.”

“I could say the same about you, Reo,” the Doctor’s voice was dangerously low.

“So you’ve figured it out have you? You always were clever,” said Hank/Reo, his icy smile made Rose shudder involuntarily. Reo began to pace the length of the train car, still keeping his gun aimed at the Doctor.

“So I assume the train isn't actually about to crash,” Reo said.

The Doctor’s mouth twitched, “I knew you’d never let the train crash while you were still onboard, not even to get to me. You’re much too selfish for that.”

Reo’s face morphed into a scowl, “You think you know me? You Time Lords are all the same. What gives you the right to interfere in the affairs of everyone you come across? What gives you the right?” the last few words were shouted. His face slowly turned from purple back to pink, and he finally seemed to notice Rose standing by the door.

“Ah, so this is Rose. The latest in your long line of ‘friends’. Does she know about the others, Doctor? Who was it last time we met? I believed her name was Trix? Yes, I remember her, she was a pretty one,” Reo sneered.

“Stop it,” the Doctor’s voice remained steady, “Reo, it doesn’t have to be like this. Just turn yourself in and I’ll make sure you’re-”

“Shut up!” Reo roared, his cheeks once again flushed an unpleasant violet colour, “You are in no position to be negotiating, Doctor!”

Rose noticed Reo’s gun-hand was shaking with rage. She feared he was close to breaking, and she suspected the Doctor did too. If the Doctor was going to make a move, it had to be soon. Rose took a small step forward, and the movement prompted Reo to move the gun towards her.

Recognizing his opportunity, the Doctor yelled, “Now!” and tackled Reo to the ground. As Rose flung herself to the side she heard a gunshot and a thump as the Doctor and Reo fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Rose crouched behind the operator’s chair and watched as the two struggled for control over the gun. Her stomach sank when she noticed the Doctor holding a bloodstained hand over his right shoulder as drops of blood fell onto the carpet below him. Even with only one hand, the Doctor managed to land a punch to Reo’s jaw, causing him to stumble backwards a few feet. The gun flew out of his hand and Rose dove to catch it. She pointed the gun at Reo who had lunged back towards the Doctor with his fist raised.

“Hey! Don’t move!” she yelled, aiming the gun at Reo’s chest and trying to still her shaking hands. Reo stopped almost immediately, and raised his hands slowly into the air. The Doctor backed up to stand next to Rose, panting heavily. Rose glanced over at him,

“Are you okay?” she asked, knowing the answer already.

“Oh yeah, bullet just grazed me,” he grinned, but his face was drawn and pale, and blood flowed freely from a cut on his temple.

“What do we do with him?” Rose nodded at Reo.

“Call security and let the proper authorities deal with him.”

Rose tightened her grip on the pistol, “Alright, you, move up against the wall!”

“What, Doctor? Not man enough to kill me yourself?” Reo spat.

“There have been too many deaths on this train already. There won’t be another if I can help it,” the Doctor said grimly.

“You ruined my life. You can stick me in a cell, Doctor, but I will find you and I will have my revenge.”

Knowing that the Doctor needed medical attention soon, Rose was about to tell Reo to shut it when he suddenly leapt into the air and grabbed hold of a hatch protruding from the ceiling that Rose hadn’t noticed before. Before Rose had time to react, Reo had swung open the hatch and kicked the gun out of her hands. Rose yelped and watched helplessly as Reo disappeared into the ceiling.

 

###

 

Before he had a chance to change his mind, the Doctor was after Reo. He yelled at Rose to find a way to stop the train, then despite the throbbing in his shoulder, he grabbed ahold of the ledge and pulled himself onto the roof of the moving train. The wind immediately threatened to throw him off the top of the train, and he had to grip the horizontal bars on top of the train tightly. A thick fog extended as far as he could see, allowing only a few inches of vision in each direction. The Doctor wasn’t sure what he’d do if he caught up to Reo, but he started crawling towards the end of the train anyways. His hands were slick with sweat and blood, making the going much more hazardous, and he had to stop periodically to wipe them on his pants. The Doctor’s shoulder was burning persistently and he felt what little strength adrenaline had given him fading away now. He knew he couldn’t carry on like this much longer, but there was no way he was going to let Reo escape again. He concentrated on controlling his breathing and placing one hand in front of the other. After a few more agonizing minutes, he reached an open hatch in the ceiling. He hesitated; Reo could very well be just inside, waiting for him to drop in. Cautiously, he lowered his head into the gap and peered around the car. The hallway appeared to be empty. He was just preparing to drop down when something heavy collided with the back of his head. His vision blurred and he barely managed to hold onto the train. He groped the air desperately, searching for an indication of Reo’s whereabouts, but he could see nothing farther than his own hand. To his right, he heard a clang as the hatch was slammed shut. He inched forward along the car, holding his good arm out defensively. If he could just make it into the car, train security could take over from there. He’d almost reached the hatch when another blow landed on his ribcage, knocking the breath out of him, but this time he managed to grab ahold of Reo’s foot and yank him off-balance. Reo tumbled towards the edge of the speeding train, just barely managing to catch the edge of the roof with his fingertips. Panting, the Doctor edged towards Reo and put his hand out.

“Here, grab my hand!” he yelled.

“You were wrong about me, Doctor,” Reo spat, then he let go.

The Doctor watched in horror as Reo fell away from the speeding train, and was swallowed by the fog.

 

###

 

The Doctor managed to get back into the train through the ceiling hatch, but his legs immediately collapsed underneath him. He found he had no energy left to even sit up, so he lied there on the floor of the train and closed his eyes. Just as he began to drift off, a loud voice in his ear forced him awake. He caught a whiff of familiar perfume.

Rose, he sighed, eyes still closed.

“Doctor? Doctor! Hold on, help is on the way. Just hold on.”

He felt cool hands on his forehead and then someone was removing his jacket and shirt.

“Whoa, at least buy me a drink first..” he muttered, smiling sleepily.

He opened his eyes and Rose’s face swam into view.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” she grinned in relief.

“Oh, been better,” he attempted to shrug, then grimaced.

“Hold still, let Dr. Lee take a look at you.”

He closed his eyes again as he felt someone gently probing the wound to his shoulder. His eyes slid shut as he felt himself falling asleep again.

“No, you can’t fall asleep! Doctor, wake up!”

Someone was shaking him, but he no longer cared. The pain gradually faded as he slipped back into unconsciousness.

 

###

 

The ringing of church bells dragged the Doctor out of a dreamless sleep. He lay there for a few minutes wondering why he was in a church, then realized that the church bells were actually train bells. He opened his eyes and regretted it instantly. It felt like someone was drilling a hole in his head from the inside, and he failed to suppress a groan. Instantly, Rose was at his side, stroking his hand and asking him questions. Dr. Lee arrived soon after and she was even worse than Rose; prodding him, shining lights into his eyes, and forcing him to swallow foul-smelling liquids. Finally, he was left alone with Rose. She sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Well, the Chief of Security activated the emergency brake, though not until after you got back inside the train. What happened up there?”

“Reo-- Hank fell off the train. I couldn’t save him,” the Doctor said wearily.

“Diadem police are asking for your statement. There’s a total of 5 deaths, not including Hank. They’re still investigating, but for now they’re considering them homicides.”

Dr. Lee came back into the room, followed by a large, bearded man, “Doctor, there’s a policeman here to speak to you.”

The broad-shouldered officer stepped forward and nodded to both the Doctor and Rose, “Sir, Ma’am, apologies for the intrusion, but upon recovery of the luggage car that had been separated from the train, my men discovered something that might be of interest to you. You are the Doctor, yes?”

“My reputation precedes me, apparently,” the Doctor remarked drily.

“Well, you’re sort of a folk legend back on my home planet. Everyone’s heard stories of how you took down the Big White House. It’s truly an honor to meet you sir.”

“Hang on, you’re from Arkannis Major?” Rose asked the man.

“Yep!” he grinned, “And you must be the lovely Rose Tyler.”

Rose nodded, blushing slightly.

The Doctor cleared his throat, “Sorry, what did you say you’ve found?”

“Oh yes, we’ve found your spaceship. The wooden, blue box, that is your ship isn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s it! I can’t thank you enough for finding her for me,” the Doctor beamed.

Now it was the police officer’s turn to blush, “Oh, it was no problem, sir. No problem at all. I’ll have the boys bring it over right away,” he excused himself and quickly left the room.

“Looks like it’s time for us to get going,” the Doctor said, starting to sit up.

From the doorway, Dr. Lee crossed her arms and eyed the Time Lord sternly, “Now Doctor, I know there’s no way I’m going to convince you to stay and recover, but I must let you know I strongly recommend at least three weeks of rest, and be sure to avoid any movement that might agitate your injuries further.”

Rose put her arm around the Doctor and supported him as he tried to stand, “Don’t worry, Dr. Lee, I’ll make sure he stays off ‘is feet for a while… in fact,” Rose smirked, “My mum’s always complaining that we never have anyone over for the holidays, I bet she would love the company.”

The Doctor moaned dramatically and clutched his chest, “Three weeks of your mum’s cooking? Might as well just kill me now!”

At the door, the Doctor stopped and approached Dr. Lee, “Dr., it’s been an absolute pleasure working with you,” the Doctor smiled.

Lee offered her hand for a shake, but the Doctor pulled her into a one-armed hug.

“You certainly are an enigmatic pair, you two,” Lee said as she withdrew from the Doctor only to be hugged again by Rose. When Rose let her go, the medic found her eyes misting up slightly. She wiped each with the sleeve of her shirt.

“It’s going to be harder without Hiram around, but it gives me solace knowing that his killer won’t be able to hurt anyone else. For that, I can never repay you,” she gave them a wet smile.

The Doctor smiled back at her, but his eyes were filled with sorrow. He placed his good arm back around Rose’s shoulders.

“Oh, I never actually got your first name.”

“Angela.”

“Alright, Dr. Angela Lee, perhaps we’ll see you around.”

Dr. Lee watched as the Doctor and Rose hobbled out of the medbay, arm in arm, and somehow she knew this was the last time she would see either of these two travelers whose arrival had been as mysterious as their departure.

 


End file.
